


Secret Santa/Gifts

by Jecari



Series: Buddiemas 2019 [6]
Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Christmas Presents, Fluff, M/M, Secret Santa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-15
Updated: 2019-12-15
Packaged: 2021-02-26 21:40:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,658
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21805717
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jecari/pseuds/Jecari
Summary: It all starts because of May. The entire team and their families are reunited for a late Thanksgiving dinner at the Grant-Nash household in early December when the teenager talks about hosting a Secret Santa party before Christmas— since everyone will be busy with families or work on the 25th. Eddie loves the idea, and if the enthusiastic chatter is anything to go by, so does everyone else.
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz
Series: Buddiemas 2019 [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1567324
Comments: 5
Kudos: 202





	Secret Santa/Gifts

**Author's Note:**

> Day 6 of 12 days of [Buddiemas ](https://buddiemas.tumblr.com/) is here! 
> 
> Prompt: Secret Santa/Gifts
> 
> Hope you like it! ♥

It all starts because of May. The entire team and their families are reunited for a late Thanksgiving dinner at the Grant-Nash household in early December when the teenager talks about hosting a Secret Santa party before Christmas— since everyone will be busy with families or work on the 25th. Eddie loves the idea, and if the enthusiastic chatter is anything to go by, so does everyone else.

In the span of a few minutes, Bobby grabs a Santa hat, Athena writes everyone’s name on small pieces of paper, May sets the rules, and everyone draws out a piece of paper.

In all honesty, when Eddie finds Buck’s name on the paper he unfolds, he’s relieved. Not that anyone else would have been bad– he loves every person in this room– but he has no idea what to buy for a seventeen -year- old-teenager or even Bobby. However, he’s confident he knows his boyfriend’s tastes well enough to get him something that he would like. Eddie realizes he’s wrong as soon as that thought crosses his mind. He does know what Buck likes and doesn’t like, but he also knows that the younger man hates gifts.  
He learned that the hard way the first and only time he bought him a gift. It wasn’t for a special occasion or anything big, just something he saw while shopping with Christopher that made him think of Buck, something he thought the man would like. But when he gave it to him, the light into Buck’s eyes dimmed a little, even though he was smiling and thanked him. 

Eddie didn’t understand what had happened until later, when Christopher was fast asleep and he was sitting on the couch with Buck. The movie on the TV was long forgotten, and he explained to him that he hates gifts and told him the reason why. He told him more about his childhood that night and how his parents used to give him and Maddie expensive gifts to buy their affection, and he confessed that while he appreciated the gesture, gifts still made him feel like people were trying to do the same. To this day, Eddie’s heart still breaks when he thinks about it.

Eddie listened to him, and together, they set up a few rules concerning gifts so Eddie would never make him feel that way ever again. Instead of buying things, Eddie started to make things with his own hands, and rather than taking him on a date to some fancy restaurant, he took him out for a picnic or cooked a nice dinner while Christopher spent the night at his Abuela’s.

Thinking about Buck’s gift keeps him up at night for a few days until the perfect idea hits him. The truth is, he could get away with this Secret Santa thing without putting too much effort into it. He could bake cookies, put together a cookie mix or a hot chocolate one, make a candle or even a potpourri, but Eddie wants it to be special because his boyfriend is special and deserves better than expensive gifts offered to buy his attention or some half-hassed idea he found online. Buck deserves a gift that comes from the heart and that’s even more true when he owns Eddie’s.

Weeks later, the big day is here. Everyone is back at Bobby and Athena’s where they shared the food they all put together. Once dinner is over and dishes are out of the way, the dining table disappears under a mountain of colorful packages while Christmas songs are softly playing. Standing in a corner with Buck pressed to his side, Eddie can’t take away his eyes from the red packages he sneakily put in a red Santa-like gift sack when they arrived. He tries to smile and focus on the conversation Buck is having with Hen, but worry and doubts make his heart beat so fast and loud it’s echoing in his ears. 

But now is not the time to have second thoughts, so he tries to calm down and just hope his boyfriend likes his gift.

One by one every guest walks to the table, pick up the gift they brought, and hand it to the person they got it for. Too preoccupied with his own thoughts, Eddie hardly pays attention to who gets what and from who. His heart beats faster and faster while the mountain of presents lowers. It’s going to be his turn soon. After a few minutes, Harry walks to him and hands him an envelope, snapping him out of his nervous haze. He takes the envelope from his hands and smiles down at him.

“Thank you,” he opens the envelope and finds a blue origami Christmas tree inside. 

It’s the same one Denny gave to Athena and he helped Christopher make for Karen since the kids decided to make their gifts themselves. Eddie smiles at the memory of spending the afternoon at Hen and Karen’s a few days ago so the kids could meet up and make their presents together. 

Feeling everyone’s eyes on him, Eddie takes a deep breath and walks to the table. Breathing a few more times, he picks the red package up and turns around. His heart has calmed down, but it starts beating faster and faster as he walks to Buck who looks at him with a confused frown on his face.

“Merry Christmas.” Eddie is surprised his voice comes out clear and calm as he hands his boyfriend his gift.

“That’s cheating!” Chimney exclaims, but Hen shushes him.

“Open it, Buckaroo,” she prompts.

Eddie’s eyes and attention stay focused on Buck despite the cheering and growing impatience. He watches him hesitate as confusion turns into annoyance, his jaw tensing. Eddie can’t read minds, but he knows the thought that crosses Buck’s and he hates himself for being responsible for it. He can’t help but open his mouth, even if he spoils the surprise.

“I didn’t–”

“Open it,” Maddie cuts him, suddenly standing close to Buck.

Eddie can’t see it but he knows Maddie’s hand is stroking her brother’s back because Buck jumps at the touch, snapping out of his thoughts. 

Eddie takes a step forward and whispers so no one else can hear him.“I didn’t break any rules, I promise.”

Buck’s face softens at the promise and he finally ends Eddie’s suffering. He slowly opens the package, his eyes flickering from it to Eddie’s eyes then back to the gift. After letting the wrapping paper fall to the floor, he looks up again, his watery eyes meeting Eddie’s as he smiles broadly at him. Eddie sighs in relief as Buck looks at his gift again and his eyes follow. It’s not much– a wooden frame he made himself with a copy of the picture they took a few days ago when they went to the mall with Christopher inside. In the photo, the kid is sitting on Santa’s lap while they’re standing on each side and the three of them are happily smiling.

“Thank you,” Buck says, his voice barely above a whisper as he holds the frame against his chest.

Eddie smiles at his boyfriend as the man moves closer and kisses him, still holding his gift close to his heart. As they kiss, someone– Athena, Eddie thinks– tells them to get a room while the rest ask Buck to show them the gift. Eddie reluctantly pulls away and lets his boyfriend turn the frame toward everyone else.

After that, Buck gives his gift to Bobby, and Bobby gives his to May. Once May gives hers to Hen, there are no packages left on the table, putting an end to the gift exchange. 

While the kids settle around the coffee table to draw, the adults settle around the dining table to chat and drink eggnog. While Eddie’s deep in conversation with Chimney, he feels Buck’s hand find his under the table, and he gives it a light squeeze. 

His conversation with his coworker is turning into a friendly argument when Eddie catches Christopher shyly approaching Buck, holding an envelope in his hand, and he smiles.

“Everything okay, Buddy?” Buck asks, picking the kid up and sitting him on his lap.

“Yes,” Christopher smiles before looking at Eddie.

He smiles back at him and nods, silently telling him that it’s okay.

“This is for you,” the kid declares, handing the envelope to Buck.

Buck’s eyebrows knit in confusion. “What is it?”

“Secret Santa,” Chris replies. “From me, to you.”

“But–” The man starts to argue, looking at Eddie who just shrugs.

He watches a wide smile spread across Buck’s face as he opens the envelope and takes an origami Christmas tree out of it.

“You did this?” Buck asks, in awe.

“Yes,” Christopher replies proudly, his big smile growing.

“Thank you. I love it.” The man smiles and hugs Christopher, planting a kiss on top of his head.

Christopher hugs him back tightly before moving down Buck’s legs to go back to playing with his friends. Once he’s back at the coffee table, Buck turns to Eddie and cocks an eyebrow at him. Eddie answers his question by explaining to him that Christopher was so disappointed he didn’t draw Buck’s name that he tried to convince him to exchange their papers, assuring him that no one else would know. When Eddie refused and explained to him it was against the rules, his son almost cried before deciding he didn’t care and he would make a gift for Buck anyway.

“I swear, sometimes I think my kid loves you more than me,” Eddie finishes his explanation, shaking his head. “He didn’t make one for me.”

“Oh, is someone jealous?” Buck asks, flashing him a bright smile.

Eddie just rolls his eyes at him. He’s not jealous, he’s too happy to see his son and the man of his life getting along so well to feel anything else than pure bliss.

**Author's Note:**

> Big thank you to my beta [ bisexualbucks ](https://bisexualbucks.tumblr.com/) who did an amazing job, as always! And Happy Birthday to you ♥
> 
> Find me on [ Tumblr ](https://depthandcharacter.tumblr.com) and don't hesitate to drop prompts in my askbox!
> 
> Comments and Kuddos are highly appreciated. Your kind words make my days ♥


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